The Institute of Promotional Marketing Launches Landmark Experiential Marketing Diploma to Invest in the Future of the Industry
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At the recent IPM event, Experiential Expo, hosted at Picadilly Lights the Venue one of the predentations, on evaluation, by Michaeal Brown was also something of a precursor to the new 10 week Experiential Marketing Diploma hosted by the IPM, with Michael leading the course. The first cohorts are due to start in September and information and booking for this year and 2027 is via the link (Photos – Emma Kirk, General Manager, IPM, introducing the Evaluation topic and Michael presenting at the Experiential Expo)
The Institute of Promotional Marketing (IPM) has announced the launch of a brand new Experiential Marketing Diploma, marking a significant investment in the future growth, professionalism and long term development of the experiential marketing sector.
The Experiential Marketing Diploma has been specifically designed to support professionals working across experiential, promotional and brand experience marketing, providing a structured pathway to strengthen capability, confidence and commercial impact.
Developed for both emerging talent and experienced practitioners, the 10-week programme combines dynamic, real-world learning with creative and strategic thinking, equipping delegates with the skills needed to create, plan, deliver and measure effective experiential campaigns in an increasingly competitive and evolving marketing landscape.
Delivered through a flexible online format, the diploma blends e-learning, live workshops, collaborative team missions and coaching, enabling professionals to learn alongside full-time roles while applying practical frameworks directly back into the workplace.
The programme is led and co-created by industry expert Michael Brown, a founder and long-term leader of creative industries businesses specialising in experiential and sponsorship marketing. Michael has led and grown award-winning organisations, including Beatwax, psLIVE and MKTG, a joint venture with Dentsu that expanded into 20 countries. His experience spans major global brands including Coca-Cola, Adidas, Cadbury, Mondelez and Disney, and over a long career his past works remain some of the industry’s most ambitious experiential activations. He has commandeered a US Navy aircraft carrier to create a floating superhero training academy in New York to launch the X-Men franchise and launched Disney’s Up franchise with a pan-European integrated experiential campaign that included a flying house – an actual hot air balloon that flew through the raised drawbridge of London’s famous Tower Bridge.
Michael Brown said:
“Experiential marketing has evolved to become the most effective driver of trust between an audience and an advertiser. In a world where trust is in short supply, the expectations on both brands and agencies continue to rise. This diploma has been designed to help professionals hone their creative, commercial and strategic instincts while providing for practical frameworks and real-world confidence that can immediately be applied back into the workplace.
There is a real opportunity for experiential to grow into the most powerful discipline within the marketing mix, but for that to happen, we need to continue investing in talent, education and industry standards. That is exactly what this programme has been created to support.”
The launch reflects the IPM’s continued commitment to supporting professional development and raising standards across experiential marketing at a time when brands are increasingly recognising the power of meaningful, real-world engagement to drive customer connection, loyalty and commercial outcomes.
Emma Kirk, General Manager of the IPM, said:
“Experiential marketing was arguably one of the hardest hit disciplines during the COVID period. Overnight, the industry lost the ability to create physical connection, live engagement and shared experiences, which sit at the very heart of what experiential delivers.
What we have seen since, however, is an incredibly powerful resurgence. Experiential has been reborn and continues to go from strength to strength, with more brands than ever recognising the importance of creating meaningful, real-world moments that build emotional connection, customer loyalty and long-term brand affinity.
Consumers increasingly want interaction, participation and memorable experiences, not just advertising. As an industry body, we believe it is vital we continue investing in the future of the sector through education, professional development and raising standards across the industry. The Experiential Marketing Diploma is an important step in helping support that ambition.”
The Experiential Marketing Diploma forms part of the IPM’s wider commitment to strengthening capability, effectiveness and professionalism across the experiential sector, helping practitioners better understand strategy, planning, creativity, measurement and delivery in a fast-moving and increasingly influential area of marketing.